Not to be confused with Outlast or Outrun, Outland is another side-scrolling platformer but with action. Unlike a lot of the genre, Outland is fast. It's sometimes too fast, but I supposed it's easier to slow a game down than speed one up. Probably more fun, too... We have to go through several worlds, with a boatload of sub locations, collecting secrets, gold, and abilities as we do.
What makes Outland different than 8-Bt Boy is there is combat here. At the end of the first level, our main character gets a sword that's fast, long, and deadly. But there's more to the combat than that. Outland has a combat system more akin to a fighting game. You can perform a basic attack, but holding up and attack delivers an uppercut move that sends enemies into the air. Holding down does a low stab, but I only found it helpful against tiny creatures. You can combo these together to juggle, stun, and move your opponents around as your pleasure. It's not a detailed as Street Fighter, but it's a lot more involved than you'd expect a game like this to be. By the end of tonight's playthrough, I even gained two more attack types, so I suspect more fun in the future. We use these skills to beat up various flora, fauna, and even a few bosses. I've gotten to one, but he was a tad bland. Golem had a pattern that was easy to figure out and only took me two tries to defeat. I'm bad, so imagine how bad this guy must be. I'm hoping future bosses offer a challenge, but I kinda don't, actually. I like baby games for babies!
The story so far is simple, to say the least. A guy, who I think was a prince or some high ranking person, begins to see visions before him. This causes him to seek help for his ailment, which is always good. Sadly, no doctor could aid him. He set out to find a shaman that may know something. He stumbled into the shamen's hut, collapsing as he did, but he reached his destination. The shaman, without skipping a beat, informs us about the creation of the world. Two sisters created the world with the power of light and darkness. And then they watched over the realm for a time until they started to destroy it. But one man was able to stop them... There's a little more to it, but that's the gist of what I got. I get the feeling the story isn't all that important, and the game is heavily focused on combat. And there' nothing wrong with that. It's not my cup of tea, but if the gameplay is this good, I have no problem with it. I suspect most of the story will be based on inferences and shown in flashback sequences. From time to time, you'll run across shrines. Usually, these are where you get new powers. But on level three, it'll show you what the hero from the past did. 30000 years ago, a man who looks like you and plays like you fought against The Twins. The flashback ended just as we got to the battle, but it showed off the big draw of the game: Light and Dark powers. Besides the combat stuff mentioned above, you can also change your attack energy on the fly. Light works against dark enemies and offers sanctuary from light energy world hazards. Dark is the same but vice versa. I haven't gotten the dark yet, but the light alone makes the game an interesting play.
Besides the combat, Outland is a Metroidvania as well. As you progress, you gain more abilities that you can use to navigate the worlds. Sometimes you need to go back to previous areas to find new secrets and powerups. You may even need them to reach all new areas, which you will after the first boss. I've gotten five skills, but that's only a third of what's shown in the menu. I know a super jump is also possible, as well as the Dark Power you got a taste of in the flashback.
The art style is Limbo, but imagine if Limbo had colors. At least, that's just the main character and gameplay areas. Backgrounds take that aesthetic and turn it all the way around. While you and pathways are dark, what you can see in the background are some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. The screenshots on Steam show an even more stunning array of technicolor masterpieces that blows me away. So far, I've only seen a lot of earthen stuff, but it's wonderful and oddly relaxing. I'm no artist, and I can't even pretend to be one, but the contrast it draws from the playable area is amazing. Most importantly, I haven't lost my character in it yet.
The music has been calm and relaxing, so I'm sensing a theme. At least when it's not trying to unsettle you. The boss theme got me up more than the slamming mace in my face. I had some podcasts I needed to finish playing in the background, but I'll pay more attention next time I boot up the game.
In short, you run around a series of worlds, collecting new abilities and secrets to defeat spiders and bosses. You occasionally return to previous areas to accumulate more stuff because I want all the things! You do so with the power of two goddesses with the end goal of killing those goddesses. In shorter, it's a lot of fun! Outland is a smorgasbord of a lot of things that combine into a wonderfully fun sandwich. I think that's what a smorgasbord is? It's a game of two sides: Light and dark are played out in the story, but calm and action are in the art and gameplay. It tells both of these sides in a way that makes me want to keep playing. I was hoping this would be a one day thing, but that's not happening. I'm playing this for at least one more day! It's so much fun, and I'm loving it.
!.) Outland is also a bullet hell. There are a lot more of those environmental hazards than I thought, and all of them fit into the two energies stuff. Some shoot one type, some shoot both, and others tag team with another sort of creature tho form a hellscape of pain. Despite all that, I carried on and now come to point two.
2.) Hot damn, this is hard. The amount of enemies you face is surprisingly high, and they all have their own gimmick about them. From combat, to environmental hazards, and even the platforming and power ups create something truly memorable but also frustrating.
Some of the mid bosses feel more tedious than hard, though, and the platforming is almost perfect. I found myself getting confused near edges a lot, which is the only terrible thing I can begrudge against most of the game. Even the bosses, as much as I hate them because they're Dark Souls wannabes, have predictable patterns that feel rewarding when you take them out. I hated fighting them, but I could always see what I was supposed to do. Although, maybe cut back on the bombs on one of them...
Sadly, though, I suck. I can't beat the final boss, and I'm calling it quits. I can get them halfway down, but there's a lot wrong here. Outland is a fast paced game for its entire playthrough, but it all slows to a crawl here. Leaping from slow moving platform to slow moving platform takes it out of me. I got other stuff I want to do at this point, so I'm moving on. This was supposed to be a one day write up, but I've turned it into a week.
If you're looking for something to scratch that Metroidvania/Golden Axe/Dark Souls/Limbo/Braid itch, that Outland is for you. I wonder if Dead Cells is a good game?
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